September 2007 is month 25 since Katrina. As we pass the two year anniversary you might think it would be getting old to still be talking about a hurricane that sideswiped the city two years ago, but it is not. People are definitely tired of the recovery. Thankfully, it's football season again so attention is diverted from our tragi-comic recovery to "important" issues like whether the pass rush is effective or if Olindo Mare should be tarred and feathered. Then "K-ville" debuted on Fox opposite Monday night football.

August and September are the most deadly months of the hurricane season. We are not protected against even a minimal storm. Even the level of protection we thought existed as Katrina approached (protection from a 100 year storm) won't be available until 2011. Every one of us worries. Humberto developed out of nowhere, whacked Rita stricken western Louisiana and dumped rain across the state. Tropical Depression 10 never intensified enough to earn a name but it caused both Louisiana and New Orleans to declare "States of Emergency." This sort of hair trigger response shows just how nervous we are.

Events in Jena, Louisiana reminded us of the major issue smoldering under the surface in New Orleans, Louisiana and across the nation. Racism poisons our society. The law must treat every citizen fairly, equally and sensibly. Ignorance and fear fuels this evil.

Eddie Jordan is still DA and in the news as his office struggles. Four of the experienced attorneys hired specifically for the new Violent Offenders Unit quit recently provoking rumors that something is amiss. Lack of clerical support seems like a pretty convenient explanation. Gaynell Williams, his top aid is taking time off to run for Judge. Then to top it off Jordan loses his appeal to have Judge Bigelow replaced in the Danziger Bridge case. Once again, as happened in the appeal of his civil rights case, Jordan's staff seemed unable to make a logical legal argument and Judge Julian Parker took the opportunity to chastise prosecutors.

Crime, crime and more crime wreaks havoc across the city. Mostly confined to the African American drug subculture, crime is making a mess of the city. Occasionally it spills out into the general population and then there is a furor. With all the resources in place and the results as poor as they are, you'd hope someone might have an idea as to what needs be done. Witness cooperation is poor. Police Superintendent Warren Riley is arranging for more police overtime. It may be the best he can do, but it still smacks of "rearranging deck chairs on the Titantic."

In other lawsuits around town the prosecutors are coming up lame. A jury found the owners of the St. Rita's Nursing Home not guilty of negligent homicide, cruelty or anything else. Louisiana Attoney General Charles Foti's staff failed to convince jurors in St. Francisville that the Mangano's were solely or even primarily responsible for the deaths in the St. Bernard Parish nursing home flooded by Katrina. Jurors seemed to accept the argument that the government should bear significant responsibility for shoddy levees and failing to issue an evacuation order. Even the Feds are looking weak charging Jacques Morial only with failure to file a tax return after a lengthy investigation. What a huge waste of time and resources. Even Bill Jefferson wants his charges dropped and the case moved to D.C. from Virginia. Now way up in Jena,  past Alexandria, Louisiana a new nationally visible, racially intense furor is emerging over some high school kids and the local justice system. What is the world is going on?

Qualifying for upcoming elections was held in September. There is a big field for governor but the polls show Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal has a solid lock on this race. John Georges-I and Walter Boasso-D are trying to upset him.  People believe they should have elected Jindal last time when he ran against Blanco and there is little chance he'll be derailed this time. This will leave the 1st Congressional District open in 2008. Replacing Oliver Thomas's at-large city council seat has also drawn a crowd. Everybody but Batt seems to be running. Even hapless Kimberly Williamson-Butler submitted her filing fee.

The city council in a fit of frustration subpoenaed Patricia Harris head of the Mayor's office responsible for city building maintenance. The Council wants to get the the bottom of problems and costs that seem to plague this office. The Mayor objected but it looks like the Council has the right. Dysfunctional hardly begins to describe what the people think about local government.

The good news is that September 2007 is over for the Saints. After three miserable outings, including two nationally televised games, the team will finish the month with a bye. Right now that bye is looking mighty good as it's the only way this team will avoid 4 losses in September. The Saints 2007 regular season started with the Super Bowl that could have been. The Saints and the Colts faced off on Thursday September 6 in Indianapolis at 7:30pm CST. The first half was a 10-10 draw. The rest was pure magic if you were supporting the Colts. Then the Saints dropped an ugly loss to the Bucs in Tampa. The home opener on Monday night TV featured the Tennesse Titans (remember these used to be the Houston Oilers), and that was the only team that was featured as the Sints dropped their third in a row. Around the city people are searching for those paper bag hoods.